


Don't Give Up

by alucard31



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Different Survivors, Doesn't Follow Canon Deaths, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 15:45:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12867807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alucard31/pseuds/alucard31
Summary: The fifth trial is here.Toujou Kirumi is dead.A perfect murder. Barely any clues left behind by the culprit.Only 6 students left.And Saihara is ready to give up.Or, he was, before she made him snap out of it.(AU with different deaths and culprits.)





	Don't Give Up

**Author's Note:**

> My first story here! Please leave a review so that I may improve my work.

Saihara was about to give up.

It was the fifth trial. Kirumi Toujou was murdered. There was little evidence found.

The 6 surviving students racked their brain for clues. They were hitting a dead end.

The murder weapon was nowhere to be found. The room has clear signs of a struggle, yet her body had only one clear wound: a gash on her neck.

Saihara, Harukawa, Shinguuji, Chabashira, Shirogane, and Kiibo were what was left of the 16 students that woke up in this mysterious place about a month ago.

They decided to work together to end the killing game. After Ouma’s execution for murdering Yonaga about a week ago, they all agreed that it was his will, and everyone else’s will, to end this horrific game of death.

He promised them all. He promised Momota, who died in the hands of Hoshi two weeks prior. He promised Akamatsu, who was killed by Iruma just a few days before Momota. He would get as many of his classmates out safely as he could.

And yet, there he was, about to give up.

“Guys, seriously,” Chabashira started, her determination slowly sinking. “How is it possible that there’s no evidence left at all!?”

Chabashira learned from her mistakes. She was blinded by her sensei, told to hate the opposite sex because of selfish reasons.

Then she lost her friends.

She had become a close friend of Yumeno. When she died, Chabashira was devastated.

And she accused them. His target was Shinguuji, who was the last one to see Yumeno before she died. The ultimate Anthropologist cleared his own name, and his delusions about his dead sister ceased when he realized she was never coming back.

Chabashira and Shinguuji then became friends. They spent a lot of time together, remembering their dead friend, and the damn trial where they verbally assaulted each other. Accusations leaving the Neo-Aikido master’s mouth like water pours out of a pipe. When Saihara finally revealed the truth, she felt awful. They promised to never go that low again.

“Saihara-kun,” It was Kiibo’s turn to speak, his voice low and almost sounding desperate. “Are you sure we’ve gone over everything thoroughly?”

Saihara looked distraught. He had realized how serious their situation was when he failed to find more than a handful of clues about how the murder occurred.

The robot winced. His hope was dying, just like the ultimate Maid had a few hours ago.

Shinguuji checked his monopod once more. He tried his best to help in every trial, and this time he was doing much more than that.

“Perhaps we should go over what we have over again,” he said, his voice maintaining his usual cool.

“Y-yeah, we can’t give up just yet!” Chabashira tried her best to remain hopeful.

Saihara sighed.

“Alright.”

Saihara began his speech.

“Toujou-san was murdered last night, at about 11pm. At that time, we were all on our rooms according to our testimonies. She was found on her research lab this morning at about 11am by Chabashira-san and Shirogane-san. They informed us of the incident immediately, and we began our investigation. She had a sole gash on her neck that appeared to be the only sign of her cause of death. No murder weapon was found on the crime scene, and there was no sign of strangulation. There were, however, clear signs of a struggle in her lab. There was…nothing else found on the crime scene, neither was there anywhere else around the academy.”

As he finished, he lowered her head again.

“Is that really all?” Shirogane wondered, half-worried.

“That can’t be all!” Chabashira loudly exclaimed, “There has to be something that points to a murderer!”

“But none of us have valid alibies, however,” Shinguuji reminded her somberly.

Saihara had no more ideas. He was completely lost.

“Stop that already, it sickens me to see you like that.”

Saihara’s head shot up as he heard who had just addressed him.

His grey eyes met with Maki Harukawa’s crimson red eyes.

She didn’t advert her gaze as she boldly continued.

“Don’t tell me you’re giving up that easy. That’s not like you,” she asserted firmly. “If you’re giving up, you’re not a real detective.”

Saihara simply stared at her, distraught.

Harukawa didn’t back down, instead opting to continue.

“I know it looks hopeless,” she closed her eyes. “But…I know that if anyone is able to get something out of nothing…is you, Saihara-kun.”

She opened them again, her crimson eyes filled with determination.

“So, you cannot give up. I trust you, Saihara-kun.”

Saihara was speechless.

“She’s right!” Chabashira exclaimed, reinvigorated, “Come on, Saihara-kun! Don’t give up!”

“I shall agree,” Shinguuji crossed his arms, a smirk on his unmasked face, “You’re the only one who can get us out of this, no pressure.”

Although it almost sounded like they were just leaving him all the hard work, he understood. He understood that he needed to go on.

“Indeed!” Kiibo returned to the discussion, his hope returning as well.

“You can do it, Saihara-kun!” Shirogane cheered for the detective.

_They…they trust me…and because of that…I cannot give up…for them, for Toujou-san…and for everyone else…_

The boy closed his eyes, then reopened them.

“Alright…”

* * *

 

“S-suicide!”

As the trial reached its climax, the truth was revealed by the detective.

“That’s the most reasonable explanation…” Saihara didn’t back down.

He hated it. He hated the truth he had just revealed. He wished he was wrong.

Then again, if he was, they were all going to die.

“I see…” Shinguuji spoke in a dark tone.

“H-how is that possible!” Chabashira pulled at her hair.

“But…why would she do that…” Kiibo was distraught.

Saihara was assaulted by a barrage of questions. Unbelieving as they were, Saihara knew this was no time to give up.

He wasn’t going to let her down.

“I think if we look at it in the way that she could have stabbed herself, then that makes all the inconsistencies disappear.”

Harukawa nodded.

“It makes sense to me…” she said, arms crossed.

The detective nodded at her, and proceeded to explain his reasoning to his other classmates.

* * *

 

There was no execution. Their number remained at six, thankfully to them.

No one else had to die.

They decided to meet in the cafeteria. The students were shell-shocked by the turn of events.

The fact that the maid had committed suicide, and the fact that they couldn’t even find out why, made Saihara seethe to no end.

Even if he was able to save his 5 other classmates, but was unable to solve the mystery surrounding her death.

The six surviving students sat in silence on the kitchen table.

Shinguuji seemed deep in thought. His eyes were closed and his arms were crossed. Chabashira seemed anxious, fiddling with her hair, occasionally stealing a few glances on Shinguuji’s way, who was sitting to the Aikido Master’s right. Kiibo was trying to keep his hopes up, but didn’t seem to even be trying that hard. Shirogane almost seemed to be falling asleep.

Harukawa seemed…bothered. Whatever it was, Saihara decided it wasn’t a good idea to ask at the moment, opting to ask some other time.

Saihara racked his brain, trying to find sense into Toujou’s final decision.

They stayed like this for some time. The navy-haired boy found nothing.

Harukawa finally broke the ice after some time.

“Monokuma has been less talkative lately.”

This got the attention of the 5 other students. They turned to her, curious as to what she meant.

“I noticed, too,” Shinguuji agreed with the ultimate assassin.

Saihara hadn’t failed to notice this either. He, however, didn’t pay much mind into that.

“Yeah, me too,” Saihara followed the anthropologist.

* * *

 

_Ding dong, bing bong._

The day came to an end. The 6 students bid their goodnights, and headed off to their own rooms.

Saihara closed the door of his room and immediately, after taking off his shoes, threw himself to his bed.

He drifted off, sleep consuming him…

… _ding dong…_

_“Huh…”_

His eyes reopened as the sound of his doorbell reached his ears.

Putting his shoes back on, he made his way to the door. He blindly trusted whoever it was, hoping they all meant it when they proclaimed the killing game was to be stopped.

He opened the door.

* * *

 

“…and yet…”

The detective was no longer alone. The visitor, which turned out to be Harukawa, stayed for some time. They talked, about the killing game, about the deceased Maid and her reasons for suicide, and about themselves, too.

He sighed.

“You’re right, Harukawa-san,” he looked at her, a small smile appeared on his face.

Harukawa followed suit, her face newly adorned by a tiny smile.

“I know I put a lot of pressure on you, but…” Harukawa looked away, guilt taking root in her heart. “If I didn’t, then we could all have died there…”

Saihara chuckled.

“I know, Harukawa-san…” he stopped.

His face then turned slightly red.

“…and thank you, for helping me push forward and uncover the truth.”

The assassin turned back to him, her mouth slightly open, her eyes widened.

And her face grew red.

She chuckled, regaining her composture.

“Idiot,” she shook her head. “How can you say such things as if they’re not embarrassing…”

Saihara chuckled again, face still red.

* * *

 

Harukawa stayed for a while longer that night.

She returned to her room, her face decorated with a smile, and a slight reddish hue to top it off.

Just as she returned to her room, she caught a glimpse of Shinguuji’s door closing.

She swore she saw someone leave.

Did she care? Possibly.

But she already had an idea of who it could have been. Out of the 6 students left, only one person had a completely blue uniform.

**Author's Note:**

> I know many of you won't agree with the ships in the fic, but neither do I.  
> I like Saiharu but Tenko and Korekiyo? Nah.  
> Hope you enjoyed.


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